


What a Honeymoon

by SpreadWings



Category: Naruto
Genre: Eventually shit will hit the fan, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:27:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29955429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpreadWings/pseuds/SpreadWings
Summary: The cheery sunshine seemed to mock Narumi as she dragged her suitcase along the dirt path to her childhood village of Konaha. The messy-haired woman grumbled to herself, pulling the strap of her duffel bag back up onto her shoulder with a quiet sort of violence fueled by her frustration."Of course, they can't just pave the path. Oh no. That'd just be too damn easy! Walk all the way here in this stupid dirt..."As if the earth itself had taken offense to her complaints, one of the wheels on the heavy case caught on a small stone and left the weary girl in a free-fall towards the ground. Surprisingly, she found herself stilled in midair, her foot on its heel with her other in the air and her eyes watching the summer clouds.
Relationships: Hagane Kotetsu/Kamizuki Izumo
Kudos: 6





	1. Workaholics Anonymous

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place during that month where Naruto was training on Mount Myoboku before Pain showed up. And everyone is a year older.

The cheery sunshine seemed to mock Narumi as she dragged her suitcase along the dirt path to her childhood village of Konaha. The messy-haired woman grumbled to herself, pulling the strap of her duffel bag back up onto her shoulder with a quiet sort of violence fueled by her frustration.

"Of course, they can't just pave the path. Oh no. That'd just be too damn easy! Walk all the way here in this stupid dirt..."

As if the earth itself had taken offense to her complaints, one of the wheels on the heavy case caught on a small stone and left the weary girl in a free-fall towards the ground. Surprisingly, she found herself stilled in midair, her foot on its heel with her other in the air and her eyes watching the summer clouds.

"Maybe if you'd left the lab behind, it wouldn't be so troublesome." Shit. That voice meant one thing: trouble. As Shikaku lead her back to sure footing, he continued, "Smart of you to leave right after they counted inventory, it should've bought you a whole 24 hours head start. Unfortunately, you didn't bank on someone actually needing a travel lab the next day."

"I left a check-out form."

"Mhm, and didn't wait for it to get approved."

"Well-"

"Because you knew you wouldn't get approval. This isn't a business trip. It's supposed to be time off."

"Why can't I just do a couple of experiments on vacation?"

The head of the Nara household let out a sigh of his typical, "What a drag.", before picking the suitcase up with ease, holding it on his shoulder as they began walking, "A wedding is to enjoy, not study."

"I have a whole week stuck in a hotel room before then. I might as well use my time wisely."

"Ah, the wisdom of a 23 year old. Clearly, it's wiser to steal expensive lab equipment and study toxins than it is to actually get ready to attend your friend's wedding during your mandatory vacation."

"Maybe if it wasn't mandatory I wouldn't have had to steal."

"It's exactly because you'd steal that it's mandatory for you. Of all the -holics you could've been, you chose to be a workaholic. Consider this your anon meeting."

With a frustrated groan, Narumi set on walking in silence up until the familiar gates came into view after an hour, "So, are they still on guard duty?"

"Mhm, although Genma's volunteered to cover their shifts to lighten the load."

"That's kind of him." There was an uncomfortable pause between the two as the subject seemed to reach a dead end, "Um, how's Shikamaru?"

"Well enough. Really grown up."

"I bet. I can still remember your wife complaining about his grades like it was yesterday. But guess he's been a full fledged ninja for a while now, huh?"

"Made chunin about 6 years ago. On the first try, too." Narumi noticed a gentle pride in her boss's voice.

"I wish I could've made it out to see it. Jeez, I can't believe its been that long since I started at the lab."

"The lab? How about when you decided to start borrowing my books?"

"I had to! The library ran out of new stuff!" By now, the pair had found nostalgic smiles on their faces as they recounted old times.

"I'll never forget that dinner with Choza, telling me about this crazy teenager that just showed up at his door asking about his pill recipes and that I should keep an eye out in case she started hunting me down."

"Oh gods! I could've died when you caught me in your justu! And then Mr. Yamanaka came out and started interrogating me!"

"We were so embarrassed when we realized you weren't a ninja."

"Aw, c'mon, you couldn't have known. I mean, Shikamaru was a chunin at 12, and I was a year older than that. I could've been a super scary spy." The lab tech punched the air to illustrate her point.

"Or you could've been working for a 'super scary' spy." Shikaku gently messed her dark hair further, reminding Narumi of how unintimidating she was, especially in comparison to her former tutor, "But no, you were just a little nerd."

"Hey! Long time, no see, stranger." Of course, Narumi found the guard with his characteristic piece of straw hanging from his lips, "Got in trouble with the boss, eh?"

"No more than usual. I wanna be a productive member of society, he says I gotta be a stick in the mud. Y'know, the usual." The statement earned quite varied reactions in the two men, causing one to roll his eyes and the other to almost lose his hay from chuckling before handing her a clipboard with a standard check-in form, "Ok, so, I have typical clothes, toiletries, and the like in the suitcase and the duffel bag has lab equipment."

"Which is already confiscated by the owner of the lab." Shikaku declared as he set the suitcase on the desk to be searched, nonchalantly reaching to snatch the other bag from her shoulder.

A flash of amusement crossed Genma's face as he dutifully unzipped the baggage, carefully moving clothes away from obscuring any hidden weapons, "Seems everything's in order, then. Have a good visit."

"I'll try."

Shikaku sighed as he watched the civilian set off in the direction of an inn, her confiscated duffel bag's strap digging into his shoulder, "What a troublesome woman."


	2. Puzzling, Indeed

Ino rocked back and forth on her feet, hoping the light wood of the door would move before she had to knock for a fourth time or worse, make a racket by yelling for her intended guest. Unfortunately, her fears came to fruition as she reached her fist towards the door once more, "Anyone alive in there?"

There was a thud and shuffling, bringing a small chuckle to the kunoichi before the barrier opened to reveal a disheveled brunette in baggy day clothes looking completely dazed, "Ino?"

"Er, yeah? My dad wanted me to come invite you to dinner since you haven't said hi to Izumo yet."

"Huh?" Narumi opened her eyes wide, trying to blink the sleep from them, "Your dad?"

"Yeah, we were gonna have dinner with Izumo and Kotetsu to go over floral arrangements and since they heard that you got in today, they wanted to have dinner to catch up. Two birds, one stone. But, if you wanna keep resting, it's fine. We know how killer travel fatigue is."

"Oh no, I'm cool. I need to eat anyways. One moment please." Ino found herself face to face with the familiar wood grain of the door for a surprisingly short time before Narumi burst back out, nearly knocking the blonde over.

"Ugh, you're hopeless, I know you didn't brush your hair."

"I combed it!"

"Fingers aren't a brush!" Ino hooked her elbow around her companion's, effectively reigning in the rushed momentum, "Go brush your hair. The right way this time."

"Dammit," Narumi groaned, "Training's paid off, huh?"

"Brush!" Ino stood adamant, pointing with an authority that rivalled her father's. Narumi took the blow to ego with nonchalance as she trudged back into her hotel room, taking care to smooth out the day's strain on her head, and returned to the approval of the confident blonde.

The street had a comforting white noise as the two made their way to Yakiniku Q. Ino somberly explaining that it used to be her team's favourite restaurant before declaring a subject change.

"Y'know, when I first saw you, I almost didn't recognize you. For starters, you're much taller now. Now you're my height."

"Sounds like you need to visit more."

"I would, I just have a lot of work at the lab. Hey! You know about plants, what's the best way to care for horse-chestnut?" Narumi's focus on work was quite exhausting.

"Kotetsu told me specifically not to talk shop with you."

"Why not?"

"Because Genma told him about the lab equipment."

"Damn blabbermouth."

The restaurant's warm glow reminded the pair of their goal as they finished their walk. The smell of seasoned meat and burning charcoal drew out their hunger, even earning a growl or two before a few familiar faces waved them into the joint.

"And there she is!" Kotetsu's usual carefree smile proved infectious, spreading to the whole group as they greeted each other and got comfortable in their seats.

"Have you already ordered? Oh man, I don't even remember the menu here."

Izumo chimed in first, "We got some beef, we can grab a menu if you want."

"Beef? Sign me up. I've been saving up for months for this trip, I'm treating myself tonight."

"Oh, no you haven't! Little Miss Lab Thief." The whole table had a good laugh as Kotetsu went on about Genma's story, "Did you really have to have Shikaku Nara himself nab you?"

"What can I say? I'm a troublemaker."

"Can confirm!" Inoichi raised a hand as if volunteering a testimony, "He had half a mind to stash you at my place for house arrest."

"You might still have to. She was a nightmare at the inn, all frizzy hair and asking about horse-chestnut."

"Ino! Way to sell me out!" The two ladies exchanged playful pouts and smiles before returning to the conversation, "So, have you figured out what arrangement you're going with?"

While the happy couple explained the flowers and their meaning, a server delivered food for the 3 men, taking this time to take the ladies' order.

"One thing's certain, the flowers will be perfect." The table could feel the master interrogator's pride swell, radiating confidence to those around him but especially to his daughter.

"I'll make the best arrangements you've ever seen!"

The group spoke of life's changes over the past six years. About how they had both loved and lost, grown and crumbled, fallen and risen again. Ino, of course, had all the gossip about her classmates and spoke about her years of study under Lady Hokage. Her gradual relationship with Sakura. Izumo recounted his proposal, Kotetsu kissing him at the grand finale. Inoichi went on to explain a puzzling code and laugh about the embarrassment of a certain white-haired jonin. Eventually, their dinner began to draw to a close, with the conversation shifting to paying the check and plans for the rest of the night.

"Ino, are you sure you don't want dessert?"

"Yeah, I was planning on hanging out with some friends so it's fine."

"If you're offering though, I'll gladly accept!" Kotetsu earned a dirty look from his fiance that sent the generous Narumi into giggles.

"We actually still have some more planning to finish up. But thank you."

And so, only the lab rat and the ash-blond jonin were left to walk side by side to the closest dango shop, chatting about a whole host of different things but always finding their way back to the scientific analyses and observations distinct to a certain civilian's line of work, bringing a gentle correction from the older man, "Vacation, remember?"

"I know. I know."

"What about outside of work? Any new friends?"

Subtle discomfort tugged at Narumi's lip before dissipating with a shrug, "A few. We go out for drinks ever once in a while. When we have time, of course."

A deep sigh escaped Inoichi before he spoke again, "The raid really shook you."

"I'm not one of your suspects, I'd appreciate if you wouldn't probe me." There was a sharpness to her tone, one that he had gotten all too accustomed to in his line of work, "It's not a crime to be committed to your job."

But still, he pressed on, "It becomes a crime when you're willing to commit crimes for it."

"I left the correct form!"

"You left the form, but you didn't submit it. Why do you think that is?"

"Because my supervisor's an ass."

"Or, perhaps, your new friends were concerned about you. The amount of times you were written up for-"

"You pulled my file?!" It was at this point that Narumi had had enough and turned to stomp off, only to have her arm trapped in her companion's grip, "Take your hand off me."

"So you can run away?"

"That's kind of the point."

"And where are you running to? Work?" That pointed, defiant look confirmed Inoichi's suspicions, "If you don't pull yourself together, you won't have a job to run back to."

"Oh yeah? What, are you gonna fire me?"

By now she was posturing, he was seeing through her and she had to defend against it. Textbook. "You know who will. It would be a mercy to you." The words definitely hit their mark, bringing her eyes to his in defeated silence and returning her to his side, "You were scared."

"I'd be crazy to not be. This monster of a man just tore through everything."

"And even though he was captured, you're still scared."

"Why wouldn't I be? At any time, some enemy pumped full of forbidden jutsu could just attack."

Inoichi let out a breath that edged on a chuckle and led the two to a nearby bench, completely giving up on dessert in favour of relaxing in vague privacy, "You're not a konoichi. How are you supposed to feel about that possibility? Wouldn't it be natural to be afraid?"

"Of course."

"So why are you running from that?"

"I- I'm no- I mean, I can't just break down."

"But apparently you can't trust people to protect you." He slyly watched the wheels turn in her mind from his peripheral vision before continuing, "We, in the shinobi world, face countless dangers every day and it's our faith in our fellow leaf ninja that keeps us safe."

"And sane, I bet."

"True. When you showed up at Shikaku's doorstep, you trusted the shinobi of the leaf. We aren't going anywhere. There's always going to be ninja protecting the leaf and all its citizens. You're home now."

"It's not that easy."

"Nothing ever is. But you have the opportunity to re-center yourself and people willing to help that. Try to meet them halfway, please?" As usual, Inoichi's observant nature paid off.

"Fine, I'll apologize to Mr. Nara tomorrow."

"It wouldn't hurt to spend some time outside of that stuffy hotel room, too."

"Don't push it."


	3. Apologies

"-and its perfect weather for some icy treats."

The radio continued to spew half-relevant information about expected events, a perfect back drop for the only occupant to bandage an errant cut on her now smooth leg with laser focus. She noted how pale her thigh was in comparison to the beige strip and thought about how things like shorts and sandals were prohibited in the lab environment she'd grown so accustomed to but resolved that it would certainly be good for her health to get as much vitamin d as she could on this trip. Yeah, definitely not just because a man who works very closely with the Torture Division told her to. Of course. She shooed the idea from her mind and continued preparing for the day, dressing herself in a summer compliant shorts and tee shirt and deciding that the sun can do the heavy lifting with drying her hair before slipping on some sandals and heading out into the hot air of the street. Looking around, she saw businesses taking full advantage of the surprising lack of a summer breeze, signs advertising frozen goods and fans stood firm like soldiers amongst the families milling around. Narumi's presence blended in with the average passerby as she casually strolled along in the general direction of the Nara house, part of her hoping such a late start to her day could delay the conversation with her boss that she was so dreading. It's not like she had any control of when he left for the office and that was exactly what she would tell anyone with frankly, too justified suspicions. But she would at least say hello to Mrs. Nara, it was the polite thing to do. Maybe even see if there was anything she could help with around the house, for old time's sake. Memories of a much simpler time played in her mind, the way the matriarch of Nara would lecture her little academy student for walking on the freshly mopped floors and greatly exaggerating the time it took for Narumi to get all the scuff marks out. Shikamaru, being a very logical sort of boy, always pointing out that the floor will always get just as scuffed up again or that it couldn't have possibly taken longer if there were two of them doing the work but taking care to hide it under his breath to avoid yet another lecture. She thought on the pride in Shikaku's voice as he spoke of his son, wondering how much the kid must of changed through the 6 years of her absence. She remembered seeing Ino standing at her door, how drastically she'd matured. Of course, she still looked like that same little 9 year old that would talk her ear off about some devilishly handsome boy in her class, but she carried herself so differently now. Strong and capable with a fire that couldn't be extinguished. That must've been the will of fire she'd heard about. Narumi giggled to herself as she tried to imagine Shikamaru with that kind of drive or really, any drive at all.

She started practicing her face of disappointment, playing out the script were she'd have to resign to discussing things some other time as she walked down the road her destination stood on. Returning to her polite smile, she brought a fist up to alert the house to her arrival.

In one moment, her fist was about to meet wood. The next, her back met the patio with her front being squished under some mass that she assumed was a person. That messy ponytail, the indignant sigh, "M-Mr. Nara?"

"Ugh, please, Mr. Nara is my father." Shikamaru lifted his head to get a good look at just who, exactly, he crashed into.

"Shikamaru! Close the door on your way out!" The ever-familiar annoyance in that distant voice wasn't lost on either of them.

"What a drag." Narumi definitely remembered that catchphrase and joined him in climbing to their feet.

A feeling of disbelief struck her as she found herself looking ever-so-slightly up at the lazy shinobi, "You've uh, grown."

Shikamaru just shrugged, "Well, I'm not a kid anymore.", he closed the door, sensing a conversation brewing, and leaned down to pick his cigarette off the floor before placing it in one of his vest's pockets in favour of digging a fresh one out of a half empty carton.

"When did you start up?" She brought two fingers up to her lips.

"Too young."

"That's a shame. You're gonna spoil the good looks it took you so long to grow into." It was the sort of light teasing he expected out of her from picking up Genma's incessant need to lighten the mood.

"I'd say I'm doing pretty well." The cigarette bounced between his lips as he spoke, going still as he lit it.

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhm, you think I look pretty good, at least."

"And when did I say that?"

"About 12 seconds ago when you were telling me what a shame it'd be to lose my good looks." Checkmate. He always found a way to turn the teasing around on her.

No matter, "Well, Mr. Chunin, I need to talk to your dad. Is he around?"

"In the back, taking a break." Well this threw a wrench in her plans.

"Alright. I'll let you run along then."

"To where?"

"What do you mean 'to where'? I assume you don't run people over unless you have someplace to be."

Shikamaru drew in a long breath before turning his head to blow a stream of smoke into the air above the front garden, away from the shorter puffs that dissipated around him, "Where I need to be is not in the house where I'd be murdered for this." He nodded in the direction of the released plume.

"Yeah, I can't imagine she'd be thrilled with you stinking up her living room."

"It's a drag."

"I bet." Narumi hated that she couldn't stall anymore time out of this conversation, she'd really have to face the music now. She took a breath, "Well, I guess I should go talk to him. It was nice to see you again.", and started her walk around the house to the makeshift training grounds. The only acknowledgement Shikaku had given her while he sat, lounging against a pillar, was his eyes following her as soon as she came into view. Of course, it was only salting the wound that she had to break the ice, "So, I wanted to apologize for yesterday."

"The whole of yesterday? Hm, but I had a nice lunch yesterday, I'd hate to have that taken back."

This man just had to be clever. He'd never get away with toying around with his wife like that, but clearly, Narumi is free game. She held in a groan, keeping up her polite facade, "More specifically, my behaviour yesterday morning. I should've waited for approval before borrowing the kit. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience I must've caused for making you come out to retrieve me."

He took his time, seeming as though he were weighing his options before he responded, "It's a start."

"What do you mean 'a start'? I apologized, what more can I do?" Her frustration laced her disbelief.

"What good is an apology if you're going to continue doing it?"

"Look, I'm gonna wait for-"

"But are you going to stop overworking yourself? Or am I going to be adding more penalties for going over hours?"

Check.

"So, what do you want me to do, then?"

"You're on vacation. You should enjoy it." Shikaku's relaxed position, leaned back with his face now towards the sky, did nothing to relieve Narumi's tension. In fact, it nearly added to it, "It's a luxury you'll miss." He slowly brought himself up to his feet before motioning for her to follow him into the house, which she was simply too drained to complain about.

In the house, there was a much different discussion unfolding. The age-old topic of wedding attire.

"A suit's a suit." Shikamaru's boredom of the subject hung heavily on his body as he leaned against the counter, his eyes avoiding his mother's annoyed expression and searching for some exit from this lecture. Aha! His getaway just waltzed in, "It's not like I care all that much what I'm wearing, as long as I'm not naked."

Just as Yoshino was about to launch into another rant, Shikaku took his cue, "A man who expects a beautiful woman to crave his eyes without trying to catch hers is either a coward or a fool.", causing the stay-at-home mother to turn, bringing out a look of surprise when she saw Narumi.

"When did you get to the village?" The welcoming tone in her voice gave the guest a feeling of comfort.

"Yesterday. Um, but travel fatigue kind of ate me up. I slept in this morning." A look of understanding passed between them, "But I had some urgent work stuff to go over with Mr. Nara and I wanted to drop by to say hello. I'm glad he was here, that saves me a trip to the office."

"You've been working too hard. It'd be nice for you to visit more often." Shikaku's words almost caused a crack in the sweet mask Narumi had been cultivating. What a sneaky trick, dragging Yoshino into this.

"I'm sure Shikamaru's missed you."

"I can't say I've missed being mistaken for my old man, though."

"It's not like I really had a good look at you. Not to mention the fact that last time I had seen you, you were definitely shorter than me."

"If you don't want to be mistaken for your father, you should get your own suit. One that actually fits you."

"It fits well enough."

Yoshino was at the end of her rope with her son and the way he rolled his eyes pushed her over the edge, "I will drag you to the shop myself if I have to."

"What good would it do to have you style me? You'd probably pick out an older suit too."

"Then take Narumi if it's that big of a deal!" 

Checkmate. Shikamaru raised his hands in defeat, knowing full well that his master plan worked, and began his casual stroll towards the front door to leave with Narumi awkwardly following to fulfill a duty she never volunteered for. Once outside, the clever chunin turned to his companion, "You can go back to your hotel now."

"What about going to get a suit?"

"It'd be such a hassle. Now I'm out of it."

"Wait, you planned that?!" The Nara heir started to take his leave only to have her follow, "When did you plan that?"

"As soon as you walked in." His nonchalance was impressive in the face of Narumi's confusion.

But what he hadn't planned on was his father getting her to the end of her rope, too. She had had enough of feeling like a fool for today and by gods, she was taking charge of this stupid vacation. She reached out and grabbed the prodigy's arm, confidently stating, "No way, we're getting you a suit and that's final."

It then dawned on her that she had just challenged one of the smartest ninja of her generation, one who wasn't bound by professionalism. Crap.


	4. Privacy

Narumi struggled to focus on any one feature of the man before her, lost in her own thoughts about what she'd gotten herself into.

A loud snap brought her back to attention, "You're going to have to help me out if you expect me to try this on."

This spurred the young lady into action, instinctively moving closer to grab and manipulate the loose fabric hanging from Shikamaru's neck, "You really can't tie a tie?"

"I'm not a formal guy."

The reluctant model shifted uncomfortably, distracting his little helper, "Shikamaru, you're going to have to stand still or else you'll mess me up." The only thing he could now is groan and bear it.

"After all that work to avoid having to try on a billion different suits, I'm dragged here anyways. Women. Ow! It's a tie, not a noose!"

"Are you sure? Because I was sure I brought Grown-Up Shikamaru in here, not Pouty Baby Shikamaru."

"I can promise you I'm a Very Happy Shikamaru when I'm not being dressed up like one your dolls."

"Jokes on you, I never played with dolls. I played with horse figurines."

"Horse dolls."

"Are you suggesting I put a saddle on you?"

A grin tugged at his mouth, "No, ma'am." and he turned to examine himself in the mirror, "This'll work, now can we go?"

"That depends, do you actually like it or are you just telling me what I want to hear?"

"Why do girls always ask questions they don't really want answered?"

Narumi sighed in defeat, "Well, I guess it's fine. It's not some old suit and I think it looks nice, at least." Shikamaru looked over his shoulder just in time to watch her slump onto the plush ottoman in the center of the room and wave her hand dismissively, "Let's buy it and we can leave."

After a short while, the shinobi exited the small changing stall and towered over his escort, who had made herself comfortable by stretching out on the seat, "This is no place to relax."

"Where's the suit?" Shikamaru lifted the crumpled up clothes from where his hand had cradled them against his hip to high above the girl's face and dropped them.

"If you want to really relax, you have to go outside. Watch the clouds." He watched her sit up, removing the articles from her head and folding them neatly in her lap. "I suppose napping under a tree would be a better idea in weather like this."

"Well, now you can go laze around however you want." As she made a move to stand, she was surprised to see him reach out to help her. "You have your suit, your mom can get off your case, and hopefully, your dad can get off mine."

"Damn." Despite the harsh word, Shikamaru smiled as he followed her to the register, "That old man played me."

"More complicated genius games?" Narumi's hand held flat in front of her shopping partner expectantly as the items were scanned and placed in a snazzy box. Shikamaru skipped over her hand to give the sales clerk his card directly.

"Mhm. Got me to buy a new suit and got you out of that stuffy old room."

"Ugh, how do I ever put up with you Nara men?"

"Have a wonderful anniversary." The clerk's cheerful words left both of them like deer in the headlights and led to wildly varied explanations. The young woman opting for setting the record straight only to be muddled by her companion's attempts to take the path of least resistance.

Eventually, the pair found their way back on the road walking at a pace befitting the lazy ninja towards his home.

"You totally made him think I was a sugar baby!" Luckily, Narumi's humour turn the experience from mortifying to hilarious.

"I think if anyone did that, it was you going on about how you work for my father."

"Oh jeez, that made it so much worse." Even Shikamaru found a smile on his face listening to her recount the fresh story, "Y'know, I really thought today would be a complete wash."

"I'm wounded."

"No, no. I think you were the highlight of it all. Originally, I was planning on continuing my work while I waited around for the wedding and when my supervisor refused to let me, I guess a was a little bit of a brat about it. Then your dad confiscated my equipment, and I was a brat then. I didn't plan to do anything but work and support Izumo during his big day. So now I'm sunk. Mr. Yamanaka wants me to 're-center' myself. He also wanted me to apologize, which is why I showed up. Gods, it's exhausting. But, hey, at least I got to see you."

"You got to be tackled by me. I don't think that's as good of a consolation prize you make it out to be."

"Speak for yourself. I had a tall, handsome ninja on top of me. That's sure to boost my rep back at the lab."

"Getting tackled?"

"Well, I might strategically leave that part out."

"Ah. Which part do you suggest I 'strategically' leave out to impress my friends here in the village?"

"That's an easy one, you had a cute girl under you and she was so sweet that she even helped you get dressed afterwards." Narumi playfully pointed at the box cradled under his arm.

"Yeah, very sweet. Although it did get a little weird when she said my dad's name." Shikamaru's words brought a hot blush to her face and he watched as she looked for words to defend herself before ultimately giving up with a cute little pout, "Eh, but I guess she made it up to me when she offered to ride."

"Or she made it worse when she asked about saddling up." 

"Touche."

Narumi let out a gentle sigh as they stopped in front of the Nara residence, "You're a relaxation expert, what should I do with the rest of my day?"

"Eat a good lunch and find someplace to lie back and watch the clouds."

"Oh crap." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow in curiosity which prompted further explanation, "I haven't eaten yet today. I thought it'd be just a quick visit and then I'd grab something on the way back."

"And you forgot?"

"Well, I was a little preoccupied."

With his familiar, "What a drag." the shinobi led her into his home by her hand, releasing her as they passed the dinner table, unceremoniously plopping his new purchase onto it, and continued to the pantry where he retrieved two cups of instant ramen before setting them on the counter to prepare some hot water.

Narumi briefly considered taking a seat at the table but instead chose to join Shikamaru as he waited for the water to boil, "I didn't think your mom would buy those, I remember her liking to cook."

"I buy them. Sometimes I want something warm when I get back late from a mission."

"Can't you just warm up the leftovers?"

"These take less work and are just as filling."

"I suppose. But you still have to boil the water."

"It gives me time to take off the rest of my gear."

"Sounds cumbersome."

"Nah, most of it is very lightweight and streamlined. Makes it easier to move quickly and quietly." The Nara boy brought his arms up in a lazy stretch as he said this, ending his sentence in a short grunt of relief before returning to his original position leaned up against the wall, arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Hm." There was a silence as she tried to think of another topic to discuss, "So, um, where is your mom?"

"Off with some other moms. Drinking tea, playing games."

"Oh, neat. Wh-"

The whistle of a kettle interrupted the girl and lulled Shikamaru into action, taking it off the heat and pouring the steaming water into the two cups. The pair then took their places at the table to wait for the noodles to soften before their eyes. Those three minutes seemed to pass at crawl, Narumi even beginning to absentmindedly run her fingers through her hair and it wasn't until she saw the motion of the boy lifting his head back up from where it had been resting on the back of his chair that she came back out of her thoughts and began to eat, blaming the light pink in her cheeks on the heat of her food.

"Next time, I'll be the one treating you to some food."

Shikamaru flashed a wry smile before responding, "I'll be spending the next six years waiting with bated breath."

"Well, I'm in town for the next week. Pick a time. But nothing expensive, I know those cups were cheap."

"Then what's the point of treating me?"

"Spending time together. I only have a week to hang out with you."

"So it's my turn to fit you into my busy schedule? How the tables have turned."

"I'm glad I amuse you." Narumi looked back at the road before returning her attention to her host, "Well, I guess I'm off to hunt for a nice tree to relax under. What'll you get up to?"

"Training."

"I know you won't overdo it." With that, she took her leave, Shikamaru's focus only returning to his plans after she had left his view.


	5. Refreshed

"Why is relaxing so hard?!" Narumi just couldn't contain her frustration. The Nara men make it look so simple but here she was, tree branches above her, soft grass beneath her, she even bought some cheesy romance novel to immerse herself in. But she couldn't help feeling out of her element, like she had to be somewhere, doing something. But there was nowhere to be, no pressing matters to attend to and now she just felt more tense than ever. So she did what any clever scientist would do.

She climbed the tree.

Theoretically, she would be able to relax easier if she expressed some of that pent up energy. Theory proven. At least, partially. She surrendered to the idea that the rest would be taken care of later as she carefully climbed down and sat, book in hand. At least it was easier to pay attention to now. The hero was some dashing young man in love with a lovely young lady. He bravely confesses his affection for her yet holds a fear deep in his heart that she won't return his love. Fortune smiles, however, and she returns his love with a tender embrace. Slowly, the soft caresses melt into hot breath on her shoulder, deliciously devious murmurs in her ear, the sting in her scalp from his fist guiding her mouth to his by her hair.

"Miss?" Narumi snapped into consciousness to see a man leaning over her, the darkened line of a scar passing over his nose and his kind eyes studying her surprised expression in the split second before she fell over, "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He held out a hand to help her to her feet, which she tried to politely ignore as she returned to her position leaned up against the wood. The message was received with no hostility and he proceeded to introduce himself, "I'm Iruka. I teach over at the academy. Sorry if I interrupted you."

"Mmm- not at all." She let out a big stretch, still a bit groggy from her unscheduled adventure into dreamland, "I actually didn't realize I dozed off. You're from the academy? Are the classes over for the day?"

"Yeah, guess it was a good thing I woke you. Don't want to miss picking up your kid."

"Huh? Oh, no, I don't have any kids. I'm way too young for that. I just wanted to know how late it was."

"Oh. Well, then, it's about half past three. Um, if I may, what is your name?"

"Narumi Takano."

"It's nice to meet you Miss Takano." This time his hand was taken in a handshake.

"Likewise Mister.."

"Umino."

"Mr. Iruka Umino. That sounds kind of familiar."

"Were we on a mission together?"

"Oh, no way, I'm just a regular ol' citizen. I'm just sure I've seen you before."

"I just hate when that happens. It bugs me all day when I see someone I just can't place." His apologetic smile was exactly the kickstart her memory needed.

"Oh! I know! You were that rowdy kid from the year below Izumo! You taught that jinchuriki boy."

"Yeah, that's me alright. You know Izumo?"

"Mhm, he's why I'm in town, actually. No way am I gonna miss his big day."

Iruka leaned down a bit with a polite smile, waiting for her approval to sit with her and getting comfortable on the grass after a quick nod, "Where did you two meet?"

"He was my neighbour when I was a little girl and kept me out of trouble. Kind of like a big brother. Sneaky dork got me hooked on reading so I'd stay out of trouble even when he was out on a mission."

The tanned man let out a light chuckle before motioning to her lap, "Good to see it held up."

"Hmm, yeah." Narumi's brow furrowed slightly as she looked at the novel on her thighs, thinking on his words, "I actually don't remember the last time I read just for fun. It's just been so much research for work."

"It must be nice to have a break from all that. You get to sit back and enjoy a good book, no research to worry about." Although she nodded in agreement, he saw how her eyes lingered on the book she held, deep in thought about, something, "Have I said something wrong Ms. Takano?"

That snapped her out of it, "Not at all. You just reminded me of something I was told the other night. I didn't fully understand it but I think I'm closer now."

"I'm happy to have been of some help." His sincerity was unmistakable and a smile found it's way onto her face.

"I guess the leaf ninja really are helpful."

"We certainly try our best!"

"Tell me, helpful leaf ninja, where are your favourite places to kill time in Konoha?"

"You're sitting in one. If you like animals, Fire Park is a nice place to visit. The hot springs are pretty enjoyable after a long day of teaching. Or listening to the Naka river flowing past." Just speaking of enjoying the scenery seemed to lift a weight off of his shoulders and brought a sense of giddiness to his conversation partner. Gradually, the conversation turned to topics such as favourite foods and star signs and funny anecdotes and eventually, to their excitement and admiration for Kotetsu and Izumo's relationship.

"I hope I can find something like that someday. But, honestly, I'm starting to think I'm really not ready for it. I'd probably spoil it if I found 'the one' right now."

"I can definitely understand that. You're still young. There's no rush."

"I'm only five years younger than you."

"And so much can change in that time. Remember what you were saying about Shikamaru and Ino? I taught them and even I'm surprised with how much they've grown. You'll be alright."

"You're sweet."

"Thank you."

Narumi sucked in a breath and blew it out with some finality, "Well, I guess I shouldn't keep you any longer. You were probably on your way home before I distracted you." She started climbing to her feet, offering her hand this time.

Iruka happily took it and stood up, "I'd say it was an hour well spent." A friendly, comfortable smile passed between these newfound friends as they began to go their separate ways.

"I hope to see you at the wedding!"

"You too, Ms. Takano!"


	6. Intensity

The darkened hotel room was largely silent, save for the rustling of the comforter from the the room's only occupant tossing and turning. She impatiently looked at the dull glow of the clock like it was responsible for her lack of slumber. Although, it was much more likely the fact that sun had only set an hour ago was the real plague. Well, no. The real plague was the image of Shikamaru peppering kisses along her throat, his tie covering her eyes, his hands planted firmly on her hips to keep her in place on his lap. She silently cursed the Nara clan for those bewitching genes and turned back onto her left side again, fruitlessly hoping that she could will that guilty hunger away. A tiny, persistent part of her wanted to indulge in that mesmerizing fantasy. It's only her imagination, after all. 

Back onto her right side. That damn clock had only moved a measly five minutes. The memory of his weight on her, the subtle scent of smoke, the feeling of his eyes on her haunted her body. But she had always hated those stupid schoolgirl crushes. Just an overactive imagination misconstruing even the most mundane things. She told herself it was just because of the wedding. That must've been it. All this focus on lovey-dovey stuff mixed with feeling out of place and wanting some comfort in something familiar. She was simply projecting. That's all.

An annoyed sigh escaped her as she left her bed to put her discarded shorts back on, debating whether or not to bother with a bra. Seeing as it was only eight o'clock, and people would just be starting to get tipsy, she decided to spare herself any awkward glances and wear one. Nothing flashy, just the muted pink one from earlier that day. She was just going to unwind after all. There'd be no one to impress. Well, maybe the bartender. Those sugary drinks always cost too much for too little actual alcohol.

Sandals on, she left.

She looked around to relaxed pub, seeing a few chunin relaxing in the booths after a long day, a few of the more vigilant ones glanced at her before returning to their conversations. Their disinterest was mutual, as her goal was the bar. The barstool was surprisingly comfortable underneath her weight and the bartender was quite experienced in customer service, making her feel nice and welcome.

"What do you recommend for a girl with a sweet tooth trying to forget a boy?" At least the bartender could take a joke, that was good.

"Have you ever had a Melon Baller?"

"I'm about to."

As she watched the artisan's hands work their magic, she started setting her rules for the night. Number one, no going past tipsy. Number two, don't break rule number one. The last thing she wanted was to turn into that drunk that overshares to the whole bar. Or worse, wake up the next morning with no money. No, she would make sure to pace herself, really savour the drink that was just placed in front of her.

"Should I open a tab for you?"

"For the sake of my bank account, no. I'd like to settle up right now, please."

Luckily, her humour payed off. Well, that and the way she subtly arched her back. It wasn't going to sting tomorrow when she remembered her moment of weakness. Now she was free to enjoy her discounted drink and get lost in the background of the night.

That is, until he walked in. There was a split second pause in the typical chatter, as if the shinobi that had glanced at her when she first walked in had suddenly done a double take but tried to hide it. She noticed, though. She noticed the bartender's eyes follow some unknown form behind her, one that was approaching the bar a couple seats to the right of her.

Now, she had only meant to give them a passing glance. Just to see who she'd be sharing the bar with. But she froze when her eyes fell on a man who was easily a foot taller than her, covered in grisly scars. His eyes met hers, making her blood run cold. This man had not only seen horrors that the mere imaginings of left her restless with nightmares, he was intimately familiar with them.

He sat, "It's usually considered rude to stare."

"I-I'm sorry. You're just so big. Tall, I mean." She watched as the bartender set a glass of what she assumed to be whiskey in front of him, which he took a sip of immediately. Gods, his hands. They were just as huge as the rest of him.

"Imposing, you mean."

"Well, I can help it. I'm only five foot four. I get intimidated by coat racks." Bingo. She watched amusement begin to soften his features.

"They are rather stealthy, always managing to blend in to walls and such."

"Exactly. Perfect ninja."

"Mhm. Can't even scare intel out of them."

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe you could, if you spoke wood."

"Hm, I hadn't thought of that. Perhaps I should learn it sometime."

"I have an excellent teacher. But they're such a stick in the mud, always leafing me to my own devices."

"You sound like one of my comrades. What's your name?"

"You promise to tell me yours?"

He saw right through her little tactic. Nonetheless, "I give my word."

"Narumi." She stared at him, confident in the cool facade she presented.

"Now, is that your first or last name?"

"Guess."

She really was intimidated if she was this desperate for control, "Morino." He didn't leave his seat as he extended his hand, watching for her reaction to being faced with coming to him. She moved closer but took care to keep a buffer seat between them, an interesting move. He wondered if she even noticed it.

"You promised your name."

"And I gave it."

"Not all of it."

"You didn't give your full name."

"I also never promised to."

Fine, he'll bite, "Ibiki Morino."

"Narumi Takano. You're from the Torture Division, aren't you?" That polite smile didn't hide her smugness the way she thought it did.

"So, you know my name but not my face? Rather suspicious, don't you think?"

"Not particularly, I grew up here."

"And you know Inoichi and Genma." By this point, the buffer stool meant nothing. Her eyes were trained on him, analyzing his face.

"So you knew me?"

"Not in the slightest. But I'm a master as getting information out of anyone, even when they don't know it." 

Her jaw relaxed slightly, giving away her hidden awe, "What gave me away?"

"You make a game out of things when they make you uncomfortable. And you've clearly had practice playing off of a conversation partner. That didn't give you away. You knew me specifically by name but not my face. Based on your body, you aren't a kunoichi. You knew me through someone else's words. The thing that connected all these points together is your confession to being from the Leaf Village. Your conversation partner was Genma but he wouldn't have discussed me enough for my name to stick in your mind. But Inoichi would. Being a gentleman the entire time. You're quite polite even when you're intimidated."

This time, she really didn't hide her amazement. He really was the expert Inoichi made him out to be. In her stupor, She didn't even notice Genma approaching from behind her.

"Got lonely in that little room of yours?" Her small twitch as his hand met her shoulder didn't escape the masterful observer's notice.

"You caught me. I figured I'd totally make you jealous by drinking with another man." She playfully stuck her tongue out. To which brown-haired jonin cocked an eyebrow before turning to Ibiki.

"She's all yours."

The petite brunette gasped in faux shock, "You won't even try to win me back?"

"That's Ibiki Morino, I'd like to keep my teeth for a little while longer. Besides, maybe he can tame you." He pointed at the girl, "This is the thief Shikaku caught yesterday morning."

"Ah, I don't think even I can reform such a criminal mastermind. I leave her to you."

"I don't know if I should be insulted or if I should make you bow before my greatness."

"Definitely insulted." Narumi's hair was left lightly tussled under Genma's hand, "What are you having?"

"I've actually finished for the night." Ibiki's large stature was, once again, fully realized as he stood to leave, "It was nice to meet you Miss Narumi Takano."

"Thank you. You too."

The jonin and his friend watched the torturer leave before the long forgotten buffer seat was quickly taken beneath the shinobi, "Making friends?"

"I thought you were kidding about him being scary!"

"Why would I kid about that?" As he waited for an answer, Genma had invited himself to taking a sip from her half full glass and signaling the barkeep to prepare two more.

"I don't know. Because it's always fun to pick on the nerdy civilian?"

"While I will agree that you make it fun to pick on you, when have I ever tried to give you a false impression of one of my associates?"

"Are you going to give my drink back?"

"I'm getting you another one, whiny girl. We'll be even at both of us having one and a half."

"It's funny that you think this is whining." Narumi began drinking the fresh cocktail presented to her. "This is my last one and he's paying."

The ever-dutiful bartender heeded her words before focusing on other things, leaving the pair to enjoy each other's company.


End file.
